1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for data communication between objects in an object-oriented programming system, such as an object-oriented operating system (OS).
2. Description of the Related Art
Among recent software techniques, there is a so-called object-oriented technique. In a software applying the software techniques, various functions in the software are formed into modules as objects. For realizing the functions of the software in its entirety, each object has communication with other object(s).
Various systems of communication between objects may be thought of in regard to synchronization or message management methods. These systems need to be adopted responsive to various requests from particular applications. For meeting these requests, it is necessary to provide a communication mechanism between objects having properties associated with the applications, such as semantics, and associated interfaces (application programming interfaces or APIs). Meanwhile, the APIs, now discussed, mean interfaces employing the OS functions or interfaces as programming system functions.
The presence of a communication mechanism between objects having properties or interfaces is referred to as presence of an xe2x80x98environmentxe2x80x99. In an equipment or a host, only one environment may be realized, or plural different environments may be realized simultaneously. Above all, the communication between objects existing in different environments is crucial in realization of concordant operations of different environments.
There are two essential concepts furnishing the functions of sending messages to objects existing in different environments. That is,
1. the concept that interfaces or procedures furnished in sending messages to object(s) present in different environments are different from those used in sending messages to object(s) present in the same environment; and
2. the concept that the same interfaces or procedures furnished in sending messages to object(s) present in different environments can be used in sending messages to object(s) present in the same environment.
The former method can be realized relatively easily because a programmer need not be conscious of all environments such that differences in the interfaces or procedures can be absorbed by furnishing different functions depending on the differences in environments.
However, so-called transparency, that is indifference of a program code to different environments, is more desirable for programmers.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a data communication method enabling transparency to different environments to be furnished to programmers.
According to the present invention, there is provided a software system in need of inter-object communication without regard to whether the OS is the same or different, in which there is provided a tag for realizing communication between software items with transparency and a software system applying the software.
By introducing the tag, a software which has realized a communication mechanism having transparency between different environments and a system for realization thereof are realized. According to the present invention, communication becomes possible even if a subject necessary for controlling the synchronization or parallelism of the inter-object communication proper to a communication mechanism differs with environments without the necessity of the objects present in the different environments becoming conscious of the differences.
Specifically, by introducing the tag for controlling the synchronization or parallelism of the inter-object communication proper to the communication mechanism having different properties or interfaces, the inter-object communication between different environments can be realized easily with transparency.